Be Positive, Be Grateful, Be Involved

Good luck to the Football team as they compete in the state tournament. It's a great day to be a Tiger!

Mike Larson is moving forward with modifying the High School front entryway to improve our safety and security. We will be installing electronic locks, adding a window between the two sets of doors, and implementing a buzz-in system.

• Congratulations to our FFA students and leaders who brought home a 4th place Parli-Pro at FFA Nationals! Their advisor, Matt Deebach, consistently does a wonderful job preparing his students for competitions.
  
  
• Last week Holly H. led our paraeducators on the first day of their required two-day training. This is a new requirement from our state.

• At last week's superintendent advisory committee we learned more about equity from the perspective of race and heard a presentation on our new discipline laws.

• Kudos to Holly and her SPED (special education) team for receiving top rating in the annual IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) overall compliance determination. The US Dept. of Education looks at audit findings, correction of non-compliance, timely, reliable and accurate data, state performance indicators, and other public information related to IDEA compliance in their annual determination.

• The district applied for an OSPI CTE Equipment Grant and has been awarded $58,000 for the purchase of new CTE equipment. The following equipment will be purchased through grant funding: cold saw, tube bender, plasma cutting table, welder package, and 3D printers.

• Today we had a lockdown drill where the focus was on the classrooms and what is happening in classrooms during a lockdown. The drill went smoothly and was completed in 12 minutes. We continue to fine-tune our processes. I want to thank all staff for your continued efforts to provide a safe place for our students to come to and a safe place for our staff to work.
  
  
• At the board meeting on Wednesday, the board had a discussion on running an EP&O levy in 2020. This will be a Replacement Education Programs and Operations Levy. Our current EP&O levy expires at the end of 2020. As we continue to do the work to determine the levy amount, we will take into consideration the economic situation of the stakeholders. We plan to keep the levy as low as possible while still capitalizing on the levy equalization. The plan is for the board to set the levy amount at the November 26 board meeting.

In the Admin. Team’s book study Kristi K. led us through a discussion on shame and empathy in the workplace. Brene’ Brown describes 5 Empathy Skills:

1. To see the world as others see it, or perspective taking

2. To be nonjudgmental

3. To understand another person’s feelings

4. To communicate your understanding of that person’s feelings

5. Mindfulness or paying attention

In the past two weeks, I met with students from the Choice High School and from the Outreach Program. We had lunch together and they shared what they thought was going well and what they thought we should change in their respective programs.

Board Policy Updates (link below):

1. 1105 BP Electoral System

2. 2100 BP Educational Opportunities for Students with a Parent in the Military

3. 2195 BP Academic Acceleration (New Policy)

4. 2410 Graduation Requirements

5. 2413 BP Equivalency Credit for Career and Technical Education Courses

6. 3120 BP Enrollment

7. 3207 BP Prohibition of Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying

8. 3416 BP Medication at School

9. 3423 BP Parental Administration of Marijuana for Medical Purposes (New Policy)

10. 5201 BP Drug-Free Schools, Community, and Workplace

11. 6100 BP Revenues from Local, State, and Federal Sources

Email: smccullough@tonasket.wednet.edu
Website: http://www.tonasket.wednet.edu
Location: 35 DO Hwy 20 E
Phone: 509-486-2126